Confidentiality and how we hold your personal information
We need to keep information about you to help us provide the best possible care for you. This includes demographic information, your contact details, and notes summarising your meetings with the OPEN service team. The information you provide is kept on a secure electronic clinical recording system. This system is separate from the one used by your GP. Only NHS mental health staff directly involved in your care will routinely have access to this information and where appropriate to other information from Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust relating to your current or past care.
How do we keep your information secure and confidential?
We work in partnership with our clients’ GPs and other referrers (e.g. other mental health services), and routinely share information regarding your engagement with our service. This may include any concerns we have around keeping you or those around you safe. Everyone in the NHS has a duty to keep information about you confidential and this means information must only be shared with those who have a genuine need to know. As well as sharing information with your GP, we may also need to include people who provide care to you from other organisations as well as within the NHS. They too have a duty to keep information confidential.
How can you see the information we hold about you?
The Data Protection Act 1998 gives patients the right to apply for access to their own records, held either on computer or on paper. If you are receiving treatment you may arrange to discuss your records informally with your doctor or other healthcare professional. Otherwise, you can write to the health records manager (details can be found via this link: https://www.oxfordhealth.nhs.uk/support-advice/getting-help/health-records/). When we receive a written request we will send you a form for you to give us further details and proof of identity. We will process your request for access to your records and we aim to do this within 21 days of receiving your completed form. We have a duty to make any medical or technical terms in your record understandable to you. You may wish to make an appointment to discuss anything you do not understand. If you think there is a mistake in your records, you should write to tell us so that an amendment can be added.
How is your information used?
The main purpose is to help provide you with the appropriate healthcare and treatment. Information may be used by members of the healthcare team including doctors, nurses, therapists, shared with your family doctor or provided for research purposes. If you do not want to be contacted about research please let a team member know. Your information may also be used for other NHS purposes and passed on to other organisations so we can all work together for your benefit. The sharing of information is strictly controlled and we will remove details that identify you, where it is not for direct care. It is standard practice throughout the NHS that service inform the Department of Health (NHS England) and other healthcare providers . At OPEN we share information to help ensure that patients are offered the best possible treatment and helps to improve patient care. This is for statistical purposes only. The information is provided confidentially and will not identify you. You can choose if you want your information shared in this way, more information is available and how to make your choice please visit https://www.oxfordhealth.nhs.uk/privacy/.
Help us to keep your information up-to-date
It is very important that the information we hold about you is accurate. Please tell us about any changes to your name, address or your doctor or if you discover anything that is wrong or missing from your record. If you provide us with details of anyone else, such as your carer, please let them know that you have done so.
Transfer to another service
Some people referred to OPEN need different help to what the service can provide. We aim to transfer you to other services as smoothly as possible. This may involve us passing relevant information about you to services such as Adult Mental Health Teams.
Patient health questionnaires
We routinely use patient health questionnaires (e.g. unusual experiences and mood questionnaires) to help us assess the level of difficulties you are experiencing, this can also help us agree the best treatment option. These questionnaires can be completed securely online through Microsoft Forms. Once you have submitted the completed questionnaire your worker will securely download it to your clinical record.
Contact with the OPEN team
Text messages and emails are stored on password protected electronic devices (phones and laptops) only accessible to OPEN staff.
More information
If you have any further questions, then please speak to a member of the team or you can find out more on the website: https://www.oxfordhealth.nhs.uk/privacy/
If you have any questions about how your information is used then please discuss this with your keyworker who will be able to answer any concerns you may have. Please tell your keyworker if you do not want your information to be used in this way. This will not affect your treatment in any way.
A fuller explanation of how we use your information can be found in the leaflet ‘Your Rights and Your Health Record’.